Daily Intelligence System: Don't Kill Me, Honey! Chapter 1706 - 395: They’re Here, the Dragon King and the Others Have All Returned!

The Sea Dragon King, Fang Guozhen, stood before them.

He was the leader of the Four Great Dharma Kings within the Zoroastrian Sect, an acknowledged powerhouse on the Heavenly List, currently holding the ninth position!

"Dragon, Dragon King!"

Fang Guozhen's sudden appearance sent shockwaves through the onlookers. The soldiers of the Zoroastrian Sect manning the walls of Wangchuan Pass, who had been on the brink of despair, gaped in utter disbelief. They never imagined the Dragon King, who had departed the sect two decades prior, would reappear.

It's important to note that the current Zoroastrian Sect bore no relation to him. Although Fang Guozhen originated from the sect, he had established his own faction, the Divine Dragon Sect, twenty years ago. Consequently, within the martial world, he was considered entirely separate from Peng Yingyu's Maitreya Sect.

Any grievances the martial world held against the Zoroastrian Sect were not directed towards the Divine Dragon Sect or the Maitreya Sect.

However, with the imperial army currently besieging Bright Peak, a genuine catastrophe unfolded. Fang Guozhen's intervention at this juncture offered him no discernible advantage; it was purely a voluntary entanglement in trouble.

Thus, the entire Zoroastrian Sect was taken aback. They couldn't fathom why Fang Guozhen, unafraid of exacerbating the situation when everyone else was distancing themselves from the Zoroastrian Sect, insisted on wading into the conflict.

Fang Guozhen's arrival stunned not just the common disciples of the Zoroastrian Sect, but even Mr. Guan. As one of the Four Great Dharma Kings, just like Fang Guozhen, his eyes widened in astonishment. He had resigned himself to the Zoroastrian Sect's impending doom, never anticipating the arrival of his old comrade.

Fang Guozhen cast a glance at Mr. Guan and let out a wry smile, "Little Fox, you've truly become quite a mess. So many years have passed, and you haven't improved one bit!"

Little Fox!

Mr. Guan froze, stunned. How long had it been since he'd heard that moniker? It instantly dredged up memories of the past.

In truth, Fang Guozhen was roughly the same age as Han Shantong, Liu Futong, and Peng Yingyu, only three years younger than the youngest, Peng Yingyu. By all rights, he should have been considered one of the Zoroastrian Three Venerables during the internal power struggle.

However, at that time, a fierce contention erupted among the Dharma Kings. Many felt their years of dedicated service merited them a Venerable position.

They even loudly proclaimed a vision of ten Zoroastrian Venerables.

A faction of elder figures coveted the Venerable positions. Yet, during that era, the entire Holy Sect was flourishing, and unity prevailed as everyone focused on developing the sect.

Back then, Han Shantong, Liu Futong, Monk Peng, and Fang Guozhen all toiled tirelessly, ousting many entrenched elders who held positions without contributing, thereby reclaiming authority.

Now, these same elders sought to elevate themselves to Venerable status.

It was critical to understand that 'Three Venerables' versus 'Ten Venerables' represented vastly different concepts. Three Venerables signified a concentrated, youthful core leadership for the Zoroastrian Sect, whereas ten Venerables would dilute power, a prospect utterly unacceptable to the ambitious four of that time.

Therefore, to thwart the schemes of the older generation, Fang Guozhen made a voluntary concession. He relinquished his claim to a Venerable position, demoting himself to Dharma King. His reasoning was simple: "If I remain a Dharma King, who among these old men possesses greater merit than me while serving as a Dharma King? So, what claim do they have?"

It was precisely due to Fang Guozhen's sacrifice that the unique structure of the later Three Venerables was established, paving the way for their eventual dominance over the Zoroastrian Sect.

This pivotal event in the Zoroastrian Sect's history became known as the Dragon King Reins in the Dharma King!

It was the Dragon King's willingness to lower his station that enabled the Zoroastrian Sect's subsequent rapid growth. The succeeding generation of Four Great Dharma Kings, including figures like Du Zundao, Mr. Guan, and Han Miaozhen, all emerged after the retirement of those elder figures, ushering in an era of vibrant youth.

They were considered the Dragon King's juniors, which explained why Fang Guozhen addressed them with familiar diminutives: Little Tiger, Little Fox, and Little Han.

Furthermore, far from feeling insulted, they regarded such informal address from the Dragon King as a form of esteemed recognition.

Now, hearing the Dragon King address him as Little Fox once more, Mr. Guan was overcome with a flood of emotions. Recognizing the playful undertone, he couldn't help but lower his head, murmuring, "I have embarrassed the Dragon King."*Meanwhile, King Qi, his plans disrupted, gazed coldly at Fang Guozhen. "Fang Guozhen," he began, his voice steely, "Did you not forsake the sect to forge your own path? This dispute is strictly between our court and the Zoroastrian Sect. Do not interfere. Depart now, and this encounter shall remain unseen by me!"* *King Qi sought to dissuade Fang Guozhen with words, deeming the involvement of additional parties in this clash unwise.* *Upon hearing King Qi's proposition, Fang Guozhen chuckled. "King Qi, your assertion is quite unexpected. While I did depart from the sect, I never declared my betrayal. Though certain aspects of the sect irk me, I recognize that a tree has its roots, and water its source. I hail from the Zoroastrian Sect, and no one within its ranks has ever rescinded my title as Dharma King. Therefore, I remain a Dharma King of this sect!"* *"The affairs of the Zoroastrian Sect are my concern!"* *Fang Guozhen's resolute declaration echoed to King Qi, causing his brow to furrow. "Fang Guozhen, I recall your departure from the sect stemmed from a doctrinal schism between Peng Yingyu and Han Shantong. You aligned with Peng Yingyu, while Liu Futong backed Han Shantong. A doctrinal conflict of such magnitude is akin to an enmity of life and death.